Gifts and Curses
by GrassBlade-Chan
Summary: This involves America and Canada.  It is my own protraying, so it might be a bit off from yours.  This is the story explaining a bit why America is so strong and why Canada is invisible.  -Full summary inside- To show I am not dead...


[[This involves America and Canada. It is my own protraying, so it might be a bit off from yours. This is the story explaining a bit why America is so strong and why Canada is invisible. They can speak English and look human...yada yada yada... Also, honestly, this tale was spun from a story I have in my head, which is too long to go into detail. But basically, someone spilled the beans to America and Canada that their grandfather North America was the one that gave them their 'powers', so to speak.]]

"Why?"

North America heard the question, back turned to the two –yes two, he could sense his descendents– who had come to ask him the question he had already knew that was brewing on their minds.

Why indeed.

"They were…gifts. Powers. I…I couldn't bear the thought of my descendents failing and falling weak," he answered them in a steady tone, though the last part did strike a nerve back within his own self. It was true, though some –his older brother, for example– called it selfishness. Why would his be the only ones who could be granted their powers?

"They're more like curses…" the softer of the two twins muttered, his brother of the south nodding in agreement. A sigh escaped the ancestor's lips, then he turned to face the two twins of his own northern lands, America and Canada.

"They are not…well, they weren't meant to be…I gave them so that you could be strong and…" the taller and more spikier-haired blonde began, but was interrupted by his grandson.

"And what? I'm the hero, and heroes need superpowers…but sometimes…" America began, but as he had continued on, his voice just lost all the confidence it normally had. To hear that maybe he was only strong because someone had wanted him to be. It made him feel a bit…'used' probably wasn't the best word, but it seemed to fit at the moment. He felt the only reason he was given the powers, was that he WOULD be a hero, not that he wanted to.

The continent sighed, feeling a bit wrong that they had thought that about the strength and abilities. That wasn't the point of them, and he knew he needed to tell them that.

"America," he began, snapping the wheat-colored blonde's attention to him, "You are strong. That strength was part of my own once. It is the strength that isn't one behind a force that fights. It is a strength that holds everyone together. It is a power that doesn't give up, that doesn't break under pressure. You say you are a hero, so be it. I…nevermind…" The continent would have continued but knew where he was going and couldn't tell of the future. Continents could never know who would be what, only sensed when another would become. There would be more descendents of America and the other countries, but that was secret to those nations.

Then the continent turned to the wavy-blonde, who was gazing at him with curious, round purple orbs, "Canada…what do you think of your 'curse'? Define it to me."

The Canadian was a bit confused, then began to speak his mind about all that was wrong about his 'curse,' "You made me invisible and able to be mistaken for America! I'm not him…" He glanced over to his twin, muttering a 'No offense' before continuing, "I just…want to be recognized…as me and not just a faded nobody…" It really did hurt him that no one hardly ever paid attention to him, not know who he was, or mistook him from his brother.

North America sighed, noticing that the child was truly 'cursed'…or thought he was at least. But he wasn't, and the continent knew he needed to tell the other as such.

"Canada…how many times have you ever hunted?" he asked the other seriously, getting a confused look in response because of it.

"Why?...well, I've been hunting…" he answered, not knowing exactly how many times he had hunted over his life, "Why do you ask?"

The continent hummed a bit, then asked, "And how many times have you ever snuck up on an animal? And I mean, to where it is so close, and they not know that you are there."

And that got the northern brother of the twins thinking. America had glanced over to the violet-eyed sibling, and then to the ancestor of them, wondering where this conversation was going. Canada, at this moment, had been thinking and recalling. He had hunted before where he could literally breathe down the neck of an animal and still not been heard.

"A few occasions...but the other nations! They don't even realize I'm there!" the Canadian cried out, finding out it still hurt to admit such a fact. His twin brother, on the other hand, winced a bit, remembering that he too sometimes forgot that his own brother was in the room as well.

North America let out a small sigh, before soon shedding light to it all, "Canada, you power is one that only me and my brother share. South America and I are the hunters out of the continents. You were given that stealth of mine. What you define as a 'curse,' it is an instinct and suggestive power. I gave you it, so that you could sneak up on your enemies and not be heard. So that, when you are in large groups, you will not be noticed and be caught. Now, tell me this, truly do they forget you when you are only with a few..."

The wavy blonde thought hard on this, finding out that that when he was only with a few..."But they still think me to be America!" Again, the American winced, not wanting his twin to be blamed for his mistakes, like often times the Canadian has been known to be blamed for.

The spikier-haired, fair-skinned ancestor to the North American continent walked towards the violet-eyed blonde, stopping in front of him to place a hand on the other's shoulder. "It is common for twins to mistaken for one another, no?" The Canadian was going to interrupt, but North America continued before he could, "It is another defense, to fool those around you into believing what they want to think so that you can move about as whoever." He then paused, glancing to America and placing his other hand on the wheat-colored blonde's shoulder.

"You two, as well as the others of my descent, have these powers to help others. To tip the scales that you may continue protecting those in which you safe guard. Do not prove me mistaken."

"What about the others? Mexico and the Latin American countries and islands?" America asked, curious about them as well. He would kind-of hate to think he and his twin were the only ones to get these...'gifts' as his...grandfather had put it.

North America replied the other in a calm voice, "They were given the defense of the nature. They are able to fight well in their own nature, use it to their advantage. But with you two, I saw your influence would reach farther places...those your abilities now..."

The two nations nodded, though more questions and doubts floated in their heads about learning why they were a bit different from other nations, from over empires really. North America could sense that, he could also sense his other siblings 'I-told-you-so's. He didn't bother with that, knowing that he had made the right choice. He just hoped that his descendents wouldn't let him down.

[[Well, this took way too long and was way too long. *sighs* but I did manage to finish it. Yea...blah. I don't think I really did justice to America and Canada...but I am really tired and schoolwork is being mean to me...]]


End file.
